Lockpicking
The Pick Lock skill allows Rogues to use to open locked doors, chests, and lockboxes. It is like a gathering skill, such as Fishing or Mining; the rogue must have it at or above a certain level to open certain types of locks. This skill typically doesn't advance quickly enough with casual use; rogues must occasionally go out on runs to improve their lockpicking. Fortunately, your Rogue trainer can point you to areas which contain footlockers at your skill level. The basic formula for your maximum lockpicking skill at a particular level is (5 * level). Strategy Early on you might get some Practice Locks from an engineer to increase your lockpicking up to skill level 80. The quest to obtain Lockpicking will point you toward plenty of practice chests. Most Alliance Rogues' best chance to get their skill up to snuff will be around level 15 in a place called Alther's Mill in the Redridge Mountains region where there is a quest to lockpick a series of chests to find a quest item. These chests respawn quickly and may be practiced upon from 1-80 skill. Horde Rogues can gain early levels from an equivalent quest on the ship off the Merchant Coast, south of Ratchet. The Rogue Poison Quests for Horde and Alliance provide the next opportunity for solid skill gains. The quest is gained at level 20, although it's a little tricky to complete at that level. The item required to complete this quest is contained inside a locked chest that can be picked repeatedly from ??-170 skill. If you've already finished the quest, you can still use the chests to gain skill, however there is a bit of a trick to use them. The chests don't highlight when you mouse over them, so you have to activate your lockpicking skill first and then click the chest. After skill 170 a Rogue has to practice Lockpicking the hard way, actually travelling out into the world to find opportunities for gain. Historically doors such as those in Gnomeregan and Scarlet Monastery could be picked repeatedly similar to the chests previously mentioned, however a timer now exists limiting skill gain to one point every so often. Luckily Locked Footlockers have been distributed in the world to compensate for this providing a fairly simple method for continued gains. For example, speaking to a Rogue trainer about where one might practice lockpicking at 170 skill refers the player to Angor Fortress in Badlands. Angor Fortress is populated by level 38-40(?) non-Elites and is loaded with respawning Footlockers. It's relatively painless for a suitably leveled Rogue to blaze through popping locks well into the 200s. The "Footlocker" chart below describes the best locations for your skill. Junkboxes may be obtained by pickpocketing humanoids. Gear Dark Leather Gloves, created through Leatherworking, increase lockpicking skill by 5. They may be useful to carry in case you find a lock just out of your range. Pickable Locks Locked Items Footlockers Typically, unguarded lockers have a lower skill range than guarded ones. When lockpicking, nearby mobs may also become hostile when they are otherwise outside your aggro range. Treasure Chests Doors Skill gains on doors not inside an instance are on a timer. They cannot be picked repeatedly for skill. ??? (about 5 min) must transpire before skill gains may be realized again. Confirmed: lockpicking something else like a junkbox will not reset this timer. So don't bother bringing alot of boxes to some door. You are likely to get a skill point by opening a yellow/orange door though (not continous opening). Alternatives to Lockpicking If a rogue is unavailable, there are several alternatives. Locks can be opened by various Skeleton keys made by Blacksmiths. There are four types of skeleton key recipes, all of which can be learned from Blacksmithing trainers. Each recipe creates two keys, which are used up on a successful pick. Engineers can use Seaforium Charges to open locked doors. The Small Seaforium Charge, Large Seaforium Charge, Powerful Seaforium Charge and Elemental Seaforium Charge open increasingly more difficult doors. Lockpicking Etiquette There is very little consensus on what standard policies for lockpicking are; Rogue expectations can vary wildly from server to server. Some expect a tip, and some gladly open locks for free. Common assumptions can be: # It is never acceptable to open a trade with a rogue without first asking him/her if he can open a certain box. Among other things, it can disrupt a mail composition, an auction house scan, or a profession crafting, and can be very irritating. Many rogues will automatically ignore people who open trade windows unsolicited. # If a rogue is yelling or sending messages to the general channel to open boxes, they are generally doing it for the skillup, and are not doing it to make money, unless otherwise specified. # If a rogue expects a fee for lockpicking, he should negotiate it ahead of time. Otherwise, gracious players often tip anywhere between and to the opening rogue, based on the type of lockbox opened. Most locks under Thorium Lockboxes, are usually worth tipping the rogue and Thorium and above is worth about based on most servers. # If you ask a rogue before opening, usually he/she will open it for free. External links *Goblin Workshop Lockpicking Guide *WoW Forum's Lockpicking FAQ *Lockpicking from levels 1 to 375 Category:Game Terms Category:Rogues Category:Lockboxes Category:Lockpicking